Trigger Effect

"Red Gadget", a card with a Trigger Effect.

A Trigger Effect (Japanese: 誘発効果 Yūhatsu Kōka) is a type of monster effect that is activated at a specific time. This can either be in response to a specific event or during a particular phase or step. Unless otherwise specified, Trigger Effects can be activated during either player’s turn.

Trigger Effects are Spell Speed 1 and therefore cannot be chained to other effects, except when multiple Trigger Effects want to be activated simultaneously, in which case they will form a Chain with each other according to the rules for simultaneous effects.

Trigger Effects that are activated in response to a specific event, such as a card being destroyed, or a card being added to the hand, are activated in the yellow box of the "Fast effect timing" chart, and must either be activated at this point, or not at all. Examples include "Jurrac Guaiba" and "Number 39: Utopia".

For optional Trigger Effects that activate "when" a specific action occurs, their trigger must have been the last thing to happen, or else the effect cannot be activated. See If... You Can VS When... You Can for more information.

Trigger Effects that are not triggered by a specific event, but rather by a particular period of time, such as the Standby Phase, can be activated when the player has the right to perform an action and only during an open game state. This means that they can only ever be activated as Chain Link 1. In this regard, their function is more similar to Ignition Effects (except that they are activated outside the Main Phase) as the player can choose at which point during that time to activate the effect. Examples include "Fire King High Avatar Garunix" and "Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss".

Damage Step

Trigger Effects that are activated at a particular part of the Damage Step, such as the effect of "Ally of Justice Catastor", activate immediately upon their effect being triggered, similar to other Trigger Effects that are activated in response to a specific event. Multiple Trigger Effects of this nature will form a Chain in accordance with the rules for simultaneous effects.

For whether or not a Trigger Effect whose trigger does not exclusively occur during the Damage Step can be activated during the Damage Step, it is best to consider each card on a case-by-case basis. Usually, if such a Trigger Effect cannot be used at that time, its TCG text will state "except during the Damage Step," though this is not always the case.

Spell/Trap effects that trigger

Spell and Trap Cards can also have effects that trigger; these effects are informally called Trigger-like Effects. When the effect of an already-face-up Spell or Trap Card is triggered, the effect functions just like the Trigger Effect of a monster and activates in the yellow box of the "Fast effect timing" chart. If multiple effects are triggered, monster or otherwise, the rules for simultaneous effects are followed.

Continuous Trap Cards

If a Continuous Trap Card has an effect that triggers, it is also possible to activate both the Trap Card and its effect in the same Chain Link in response to the event that triggers the effect at the time when the player has the right to activate a fast effect.

For example, if a monster you control is destroyed by battle whilst you control a face-up "Yang Zing Creation", if you choose to activate the effect of this face-up "Yang Zing Creation", you must do so in the yellow box of the "Fast effect timing" chart, before either player can activate fast effects. If, however, "Yang Zing Creation" is face-down on the field when the monster is destroyed by battle, so long as the monster being destroyed is still the last thing to happen, you can activate the effect of "Yang Zing Creation" in the same Chain Link as the card itself.

Continuous Trap Cards which have effects that state they must be activated while the Trap Card is already face-up on the field, such as "Predaplanet", cannot activate that effect in the same Chain Link as the Trap Card itself.

Further, Continuous Trap Cards which have rulings that state that their effect cannot be activated in the same Chain Link as the card itself must have first been activated, and resolved, for an action to be able to trigger their effects. These include "All-Out Attacks", "Coffin Seller", "Cyber Summon Blaster", "Light Spiral", "Natural Disaster", "Overdoom Line", "PSY-Frame Accelerator", "Spirit's Invitation", "Swiftstrike Armor", and "Unpossessed".

List of TCG and OCG monsters with Trigger Effects

Name	Japanese name	Primary type	Secondary type	Attribute	Type	Level/ Rank	Scale	ATK	DEF	Link
4-Starred Ladybug of Doom	死（し）の４つ星（ほし）てんとう虫（ムシ）	Effect Monster	Flip monster	WIND	Insect	3		800	1200
8-Claws Scorpion	八（や）つ手（で）サソリ	Effect Monster		DARK	Insect	2		300	200
A-Assault Core	Ａ（エー）－アサルト・コア	Effect Monster	Union monster	LIGHT	Machine	4		1900	200
Abaki	暴（あば）鬼（き）	Effect Monster		FIRE	Fiend	4		1700	1100
Abominable Unchained Soul	雙（そう）極（きょく）の破（は）械（かい）神（しん）	Effect Monster		DARK	Fiend	8		3000	1500
Absolute Crusader	レアル・クルセイダー	Effect Monster		EARTH	Warrior	4		1800	1200
Absolute King Back Jack	絶（ぜっ）対（たい）王（おう） バック・ジャック	Effect Monster		DARK	Fiend	1		0	0
Absorbing Kid from the Sky	吸（きゅう）収（しゅう）天（てん）児（じ）	Effect Monster		LIGHT	Fairy	4		1300	1000
Absorouter Dragon	アブソルーター・ドラゴン	Effect Monster		DARK	Dragon	7		1200	2800
Abyss Actor - Comic Relief	魔（ま）界（かい）劇（げき）団（だん）－コミック・リリーフ	Effect Monster Pendulum Monster		DARK	Fiend	3	8	1000	2000

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List of TCG and OCG Spell and Trap Cards with Trigger-like Effects

Name	Japanese name	Card type	Property
"A" Cell Breeding Device	「Ａ（エー）」細（さい）胞（ぼう）増（ぞう）殖（しょく）装（そう）置（ち）	Spell Card	Continuous Spell Card
"A" Cell Incubator	「Ａ（エー）」細（さい）胞（ぼう）培（ばい）養（よう）装（そう）置（ち）	Spell Card	Continuous Spell Card
"Infernoble Arms - Almace"	『焔（えん）聖（せい）剣（けん）－アルマス』	Spell Card	Equip Spell Card
"Infernoble Arms - Durendal"	『焔（えん）聖（せい）剣（けん）－デュランダル』	Spell Card	Equip Spell Card
"Infernoble Arms - Hauteclere"	『焔（えん）聖（せい）剣（けん）－オートクレール』	Spell Card	Equip Spell Card
"Infernoble Arms - Joyeuse"	『焔（えん）聖（せい）剣（けん）－ジョワユーズ』	Spell Card	Equip Spell Card
7	７（セブン）	Spell Card	Continuous Spell Card
A.I. Challenge You	果（は）たし－Ａｉ（アイ）－	Trap Card	Continuous Trap Card
A.I. Shadow	Ａｉ（アイ）シャドー	Trap Card	Continuous Trap Card
A.I.dle Reborn	Ａｉ（アイ）ドリング・ボーン	Spell Card	Quick-Play Spell Card

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In other languages

"Trigger Effect" in languages other than English

Language	Name	Romanized
French	Effet Déclencheur
German	Triggereffekt
Italian	Effetto Innescato
Portuguese	Efeito de Gatilho
Spanish	Efecto Disparado
Japanese	誘発効果	Yūhatsu Kōka
Korean	유발 효과	Yubal Hyogwa
Chinese (Traditional and Simplified)	誘發效果	Yòufā Xiàoguǒ

See also

• Fast Effect Timing
• If... You Can VS When... You Can
• Simultaneous Effects